Unisex name · since 1880

Clair

Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 12,041 babies named Clair, peaking in 1923. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.

12,041
total births
1880–2020
years on record
1920s
peak decade
26%
born in that decade

12,041 boys have been named Clair since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

Clair has 12,041 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2020.

  • 12,041 total births
  • 1880–2020 years on record
  • 1920s peak decade
  • 26% born in that decade

Data updated Jun 2026

The verdict

12,041 boys have been named Clair since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2020.

12,041
total births
1880–2020
years on record
1920s
peak decade
26%
born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade

26% of everyone ever named Clair was born in this single decade.

1923
Single peak year

356 babies were named Clair in 1923 - its busiest year on record.

Clair's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Splitting Clair's full recorded timeline at 1939, 31% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 69% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1993, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1923 peak of 356 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.

Clair at a glance

Last recorded 2020

Total births

12,041

Since 1880

141 years of records

Peak year

1923

356 births that year

Strongest decade: 1920s

Current rank

Unranked

Outside the modern top-1,000

As of 2020

Active since

1880

Recorded for 141 years

Last year on file: 2020

Clair popularity over time - boys

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2020

Last recorded 2020
Peak year (1923)
356
Annual births at peak, across 141 years of records
-1000100200300400 188018951910192519401955197019852020 5

Clair popularity over time - girls

4,310 total births recorded since 1880 (Clair as girls' name)

Unisex variant - 4,310 births
020406080 188019081925194219591976199320102025 29

Clair by decade

Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance

1920s was Clair's strongest decade.

3,169 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.

Clair births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,169 births (26% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of June 2026

How Clair compares to similarly-sized names

Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Clair's total volume

Clair vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Clair vs 15 similarly-sized boys names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%2%4%6%8% 050100150200 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year Clair
Clair vs 15 similarly-sized boys names

Clair by state

Where Clair concentrates geographically, total births since 1880

Regionally concentrated
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Clair
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 Pennsylvania
4,451 37.0%
#2 Iowa
623 5.2%
#3 Ohio
583 4.8%
#4 Michigan
575 4.8%
#5 Utah
467 3.9%
#6 New York
463 3.8%
#7 Minnesota
373 3.1%
#8 Kansas
211 1.8%
Pennsylvania share of Clair's total US births 37.0%
Even split

4,451 of 12,041 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 22 reporting states.

Clair appears in 22 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Clair? ▼
12,041 babies have been named Clair since 1880. It was last recorded in 2020. The peak year was 1923 with 356 births.
When was Clair most popular? ▼
Clair was most popular in the 1920s decade with 3,169 total births. The single peak year was 1923.
Where is Clair most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Clair are Pennsylvania (4,451 births), Iowa (623 births), Ohio (583 births).
Is Clair a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Clair is used for both boys and girls. As a boy's name it has 12,041 births, and as a girl's name it has 4,310 births.
How long has the name Clair been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Clair since 1880 -- 141 years through the most recent 2020 data.
What names are similar to Clair? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Clarence, Clayton, Claude, Clark, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.

What to do with Clair's data

  • Clair's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,169 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • Pennsylvania records the most Clairs (4,451 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
  • Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Clair

Nearby Names Like Clair

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Clair

Clarence Boy
#1551 303,564 births
Clayton Boy
#318 139,344 births
Claude Boy
#3335 91,337 births
Clark Boy
#437 50,851 births
Clay Boy
#544 40,252 births

Compare Clair side by side: Clair vs Clarence Clair vs Clayton Clair vs Claude

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Cyril #3003
12,034 births · Peak 1916
Chaim #682
12,072 births · Peak 2022
Uriah #652
12,077 births · Peak 2014
Alessandro #554
12,002 births · Peak 2025
Eliseo #629
11,996 births · Peak 2025
Rohan #841
12,102 births · Peak 2004
Shelton #4707
11,973 births · Peak 1972
Dario #639
11,945 births · Peak 2024

Data Sources

Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2020 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Cite this page

NameAlmanac Editorial. "Clair: Baby Name Since 1880 - 12,041 Births, Peak 1923." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/clair. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Clair draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.